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A Square Peg in a Round Hole

A Square Peg in a Round Hole takes the reader on a journey through the geometry of common shapes and the calculation of area. Written to be accessible to an able and interested 18-year old, it aims to appeal to students and teachers of mathematics and to anyone with a fascination for the subject.

Which is the better fit: a square peg in a round hole or a round peg in a square hole? What's the best way to fit two semicircles inside a square? Can you picture a hectare or a square kilometre? How should a slice of cheesecake be cut in half? Explore the missing square paradox, the three squares problem and the logo of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. Find out how to calculate areas by twisting, overlapping, folding and dissecting, and investigate the surface areas of shapes constructed from unit cubes. Then tackle the multitude of problems in the final chapter.

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"Whilst much of the focus of the book is about areas, Chris has included some sections on volumes which follow a similar approach and also lead to some beautiful number sequences. A whole chapter is dedicated to the Golden Ratio and some of the area available to explore on section of pentagons.
This book explores some serious school mathematics in a context which is intriguing and fascinating. Whist it might fall outside the various syllabuses, it is nevertheless a useful book from which to apply many of the ideas that are required for exams. It is something I would recommend or use in secondary classrooms and also on teacher education programmes, for example mathematics specialism routes.”